Ok folks, time for the obligatory question you always know someone will pose before a franchise gets a new installment....

I never got around to Nier. Should I do so before Drakengard 3 comes out or can I hold off for a rainy day sometime in the future?

I ask because I foresee the end of my current RPG focus in the not so distant future and I really want to get to Escha and Dodgy next, but I also totally want my ducks in order for Drakengard's release at the end of may.

I hate new releases.... they conflict my "wants" with my "shoulds" in terms of my gaming agenda. LoL

From import reviews and impressions, it seems like the general consensus is that D3 is better in gameplay, but Nier is better in everything else. So, take that for what it's worth.

Heh, from what I've also heard, D3's gameplay ain't too shit hot either (playing like a bad PS2 game or something like that).

I'd play Nier just to find out if you're interested in the world. It certainly isn't for everyone. I for one hated Nier and lost all interest in this game after trying it.

I played the game on easy, where you basically can't get killed, and wouldn't want to struggle with a game like that since the gameplay is so wooden. I loved it for what it was, and truly -- in narrative and story style -- there's nothing like it. But gameplay isn't one of its better features (I did love the "ripoff" sections that took from Zelda, Diablo, or even bullet hell titles...that was interesting).

So am I the only one here who really likes Nier's gameplay? It felt very...arcade-like and kept things interesting with its different styles, not to mention it gets a lot better in the second half. I just never understood the criticism for it.

So am I the only one here who really likes Nier's gameplay? It felt very...arcade-like and kept things interesting with its different styles, not to mention it gets a lot better in the second half. I just never understood the criticism for it.

I absolutely *adore* the idea of each magic being ideal for different situations and that the triggers for them were fun to combine.

I wouldn't say that I really liked Nier's gameplay, but I certainly didn't dislike it the way some people seem to. I found it adequate but nothing special. I thought they had some pretty cool ideas for the magic system but they were under-utilized. The gameplay mix-ups helped keep things fresh, though.

My biggest complaint is that it was just way too easy. It's a complete cakewalk on normal, never really making me feel challenged and therefore not giving me a whole lot of reason to fully explore all available moves and stuff. Honestly, Dice, I'm kind of surprised that you would play it on easy. I can't see the need.

I tried it (Nier) awhile back very briefly and was turned off for some silly reason I can't recall involving the MC.... I think it was something terribly dumb and superficial... In any event I still own it and always intended on getting to it, but like so many others the epic quantity of all those "still need to get to" titles is bewildering.

My primary concern was that Drakengard 3, if played first, may in some sense spoil my experience with Nier. I really want to get to it in all honesty, but I feel like I need to get to a few other titles first if you catch my meaning.

Atelier Escha and Dodgy being one of them, Tales of Eternia, Hyperdimension Nep. Victory, Lost Odyssey, and Romancing Saga 3 (oddly enough) are all presently vying for the position of "my next game". I posed this question now though because I can wait on those titles and play Nier in the interest of setting myself up nicely for Drakengard if I'm mindful and make the call now.

I'm weird. Once I resolve myself to a title its pretty much "on" until I'm through with it for the most part, so I figured I best discern whether Nier should be priority before Drakengard now so I'm not aggrivated at the end of May that I'm "behind". I am gonna do the pre-order deal for Drakengard and I HATE getting a game in the mail I can't play because I'm an installment behind-LoL!

My primary concern was that Drakengard 3, if played first, may in some sense spoil my experience with Nier. I really want to get to it in all honesty, but I feel like I need to get to a few other titles first if you catch my meaning.

I don't think Drakengard 3 would spoil a Nier experience. It would probably do that more with Drakengard 1 and 2 if you haven't played those. Actually, I think I remember the director saying that fans should not expect something similar to either Drakengard or Nier, or else they will be disappointed.

Because I keep screwing up and have been saying "Dodgy" in my head instead of "Logy"... I actually believed that was the title for so long, I'm not even catching myself when I do it! Sorry about that :)

That article is really interesting. I thought it was kind of funny how his example of something to make people sad was so cliche, until he started adding details and I was like "Holy crap, that's a scene from Nier!"

And he thinks his games don't cause emotional reactions? Okay, Drakengard 1 maybe...the characters are so twisted and awful, and the gameplay is so incredibly clunky that it's really hard to get sucked in, but Nier had an amazing (and dark) story with many moments that impacted me. And the music really helped.

^Pretty sure he said thinking that as a developer could have done a better job and offer more of what he/she wanted. Is not the first time I've seen it happen with people into the entertainment business that usually either tend to go with the flow of things or judge the quality of their work a lot.

Turns out this isn't a SE store exclusive anymore because Amazon has pre-orders up. I haven't seen any other retailers have it though, so...not sure what's up with that, but at least it provides an alternative for those that don't want to gamble with Digital River (or are in Europe).

I'm not exactly sure what you were expecting. Drakengard 1 and 2 weren't exactly shining bastions of gameplay. In fact, the first game was flat out unfun and miserable to play. They only really excelled at story and characters, which were good enough that it made the pain of playing somewhat tolerable. 2 was slightly better in the gameplay department, weaker in story and characters.